Odell Beckham deserves a suspension for his deliberate helmet-on-helmet hit on Josh Norman. But he really should be better protected by the referees and it’s not right to overlook the incitement he had to endure from Panther players who took taunting and intimidation to a level rarely seen before. Carrying a bat around during pre-game warmups and threatening to end his career?
The homophobic slurs are nothing new, but also something folks ought to have moved beyond a long time ago. Grown men shouldn’t act like insecure teenagers.
In any case, Beckham has a short fuse and it’s too easy to get inside his head. He endangered the health of another player in a completely deliberate and reckless manner, and he has to be punished for it. But that doesn’t mean he should have to put up with this kind of crap week in and week out.
Also, he translated his anger into a remarkable performance as the Giants rallied from a 35-7 deficit to tie the game. Beckham made that happen by his desire to win and his ability to inspire his teammates to rise out of their stupor. He is perhaps the best new player in the league.
